Why There Is Always an Excuse Not to Travel with Kids

Every time conversation turns to traveling with kids, people immediately start giving all kinds of reasons why they don’t (yet) travel with their children: my kids are too young, they are not good travellers, they are fussy eaters, they don’t sleep well in strange places, they will not handle a long flight (or a long car ride) well,… and probably the most popular one – the kids will not remember anything anyway.

When I talk to the same people a year or two later they tell me how much they would like to travel, but they use the same excuses as to why they don’t do it – yet…

If you have never used one of these excuses not to take your kids on a trip, you can stop reading now and start planning your next vacation.

Still here?

Let me tell you a secret: there is never going to be the perfect time to travel with your children! And there will always be an excuse not to do it.

Something will come up and you will putt off your plans till next summer, next spring break, next year… And before you know it, your kids will be too old and will not want to travel with you.

A bit over a year ago we went on a sundowner safari ride at one of the lodges in Namibia and shared a jeep with another Belgian family who were traveling with their kids of 16-18 years old. They couldn’t believe we were doing a road trip in Namibia with three young kids. They told us that this was only their second trip with their children and that they were sorry that they didn’t travel with their kids when they were younger. ‘We just didn’t dare. We realise now what we had missed’, they said.

10 most popular excuses not to travel with children

To tell you the truth, I also have some worries when we take our kids on a trip. The difference is that I don’t use them as an excuse not to travel. We just do it and figure out the rest along the way.

Excuse no. 1 – We don’t travel with kids because they will not remember anything

Think of a latest trip you made. And the one before that. Think of something you did when you were 20. Now be honest with yourself – do you remember everything you did back then? I don’t! My husband certainly doesn’t. What we remember is often not much more than some details, funny stories, people we met, impressions, tastes, sounds, emotions… All the rest we ‘remember’ when we look at the pictures, read the travel diary, or when we see something that reminds us of the places we visited.

When I ask my kids what they remember of their trip to Australia two years ago, they usually say they don’t remember much. But then all of the sudden one of them asks ‘is it that trip where we were running behind kangaroos trying to cuddle them?’ ‘And do you remember that bird – it stole daddy’s sandwich, didn’t it?’ – says the other one. ‘Oh, and was it there where we were rolling down the red sand dunes and where I saw those elephants before anyone else did? And where we saw a koala crossing the road…’

People grow through experience and it’s your experiences that shape you. Not the memories.

They may not remember every detail of the specific trip or mix it all up, but they did experience all of it and all those experiences are worth more than the precise knowledge of where and when you travelled and what exactly you saw at one or the other place.

Excuse no. 2 – Our kids are too young

‘I can’t really take a 5 (or a 2,3,… just fill it in) year old on a trip. He cannot do much and thus we will not be able to do anything either’.

Yes you can! All you have to do is plan your trip accordingly. It’s true that there will be some things that you will not be able to do on a trip, but there are always plenty alternatives and if you want to you can travel almost anywhere with children of any age.

Excuse no. 3 – My kids will never survive a long-haul flight

It’s amazing how often this excuse is used! If we can take three kids under 5 on a 28-hour long flight (with 2 stop-overs) to Australia, then you really have nothing to worry about on a 10-hour flight. Really!

Excuse no. 4 – Our children are terrible travellers, they can’t sit still in a car

It’s a tough one, because it’s true – no child can sit still for a long period of time. Not in a car, and not anywhere else. It’s against their nature. You just have to learn to live with it. If it can be of any consolation, I can tell you that it does get (a bit) better with the years.

Excuse no. 5 – My kids don’t sleep well in strange places

This is a single most frustrating aspect of any trip for us. Not that our kids don’t sleep well. It just takes them ages to fall asleep in the evening because they usually share a room when traveling and they just have so much to tell each other in the evening.

Tire your kids with all kinds of activities and new impressions during the day and you will have less problems getting them to sleep in the evening

We hardly ever have this problem when we are on a road trip though. We sleep at so many different hotels during the trip that it’s a different experience every night. Kids are usually very excited about each new place and so engaged in the lengthy process of deciding about who will sleep where that they forget to be difficult. They are also usually very tired after a long day full of new impressions, that they fall asleep much easier than they do at home or when we stay at the same hotel for days in a row.

Our kids can also be difficult about food. There is a whole list of ‘I don’t eat that….’ at home. But while on the road, they eat pretty much everything… They tried oysters and ate crocodile steak in South Africa, they preferred kangaroo steak over spaghetti in Australia, and they couldn’t get enough of springbok antelope steak and squash vegetables in Namibia…

You can always find something to eat for your kids, anywhere in the world. Most hotels make extra effort to prepare special children’s meals and there is always a possibility of buying some snacks at a local store if you are really worried that you will not find anything suitable at a particular place or hotel…

Excuse no. 7 – We don’t have time for a far trip – school holidays are so short

Our three kids are all going to school and we are also bound to the strict rules and can only travel during school holidays. It’s not always easy to plan a trip during the school holidays as your time is limited, it’s much more expensive, and on top of that it’s simply not the best time to visit certain places…

Don’t let this be an excuse! There is always a destination which can be visited during the specific vacation you have in mind. Some places are so far away that it would be a waste of time and money to go there for a week or even two, but there are plenty destinations where a week is more than enough to see the most worthy places.

Excuse no. 8 – Traveling with a family is expensive

Yes, and no. Traveling has indeed become very expensive recently. But then again, there are always cheaper alternatives: cheaper flights, cheaper rental cars, and cheaper hotels. Or, if it’s really above the budget, alternative destinations…

You can always find a way to travel that suits your budget

Thanks to the Internet, you can find some great deals on flights and hotels using websites like, for example, my favourite Momondo (for the flights) and Booking.com (for the hotels). It’s usually much cheaper to travel by car than by plane, certainly as a family. Even if it means you have to drive a day or even two just to get somewhere. Why not turn it into a road trip instead and visit some nice places along the way..

Excuse no. 9 – It’s too late for this year, we’ll do it next time

The truth is, you probably won’t. If you want to travel, then just do it.

It might be difficult to book a complete road trip for a certain destination last minute, but don’t let that stop you – you can always inform about the possibilities.

Alternatively, look for another destination. You may be lucky to find some last-minute deals for the flights and hotels and travel to the places you didn’t even think about in the first place.

Something to think about: if you really want to make a nice trip, but are too late to make your own arrangements or don’t know where to start, look for a group tour instead. They usually have plane seats and hotels reserved in advance and you might even be lucky to get a discount if they really want to get the group going.

Excuse no. 10 – I don’t know where to start

Granted, not everyone has the time and desire to spend hours and hours planning a perfect trip. You can go to a travel agent and let them handle all the arrangements for you, yet travel individually. Alternatively, you can opt for a group tour.

While not my first choice when it comes to traveling with children, group tours can be the perfect way to travel and see the world for first-time travellers, singles, or for people who just want to enjoy their vacation and have nothing to worry about.

We never took our kids on a group tour, but years ago we travelled to China and India on an organised tour and just recently I spent a week in Iceland with a small group. Sometimes it’s just easier and it’s not always more expensive.

As already said in one of my earlier posts, I would recommend you look for a small group tour as they give you a much more authentic travel experience. Take a look at the big variety of worldwide trips offered by Intrepid. They have small group tours, group tours for families, but also self-discovery trips… Plenty of inspiration!

There are so many excuses and reasons not to travel with children… It’s never the perfect time…

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Comments

I don’t have children but I hear these excuses from my friends with children all the time. Next time I hear them make such an excuse I am going to point straight to your post. Thanks for the great reading.

A great post Jurga! I took my daughter all over the world from a very young age – she is confident, open minded and a child of the world. She will try any new foods and is not afraid of new things or experiences. She also thinks nothing of jumping on a plane and travelling into the unknown.

Thanks for sharing your story, Tracy! Traveling with kids is not always easy, but I can see already how it shapes them into more open-minded kids who are always eager to learn something new. I hope they never lose that – being curious about the world and open to new experiences.

Love this article. I must admit – we have used some of these excuses too but in the long run, we can look back and be glad that our kids explored the world with us. Tweeting, stumbling and sharing on FB.

Thank you Sara. I think we all use these excuses sometimes, the key is to not let them stop you from doing the things you really want to do. I know so many people who postpone traveling till later, and then later there are other excuses and obligations and it never happens.

Thank you! My husband and I love to travel and we have always been told “enjoy it now because you won’t be able to do it anymore when you have kids.” We just had our baby girl 6 weeks ago and will be headed to Hawaii with her next week. It will be different, but totally worth it!

It will definitely be very different now, but in a way it’s easier to travel with a baby than with a 1-2 year old. As long as you realise that you’ll have to adapt to your new little travel companion and plan your trips with that in mind, you can travel pretty much anywhere with kids. Enjoy it! Would love to visit Hawaii one day too!

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Jurga. A traveller with a camera and a mom of three boys. On this blog I share our family's travel experiences all over the world, coupled with lots of practical information and useful tips. My pictures will inspire you to discover new destinations and my stories will prove that you can take your kids anywhere.Join us as we discover the world one beautiful adventure at a time!Read more about me, my family, and our trips all over the world...